


misunderstandings

by orphan_account



Category: Batman (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, New 52, Pre-New 52, a mixing of canons, both apply, friends talk about stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:15:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25217611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After an encounter with an old acquaintance, Jason is reminded of old hurts while Kory and Roy are reminded of their youths
Relationships: Koriand'r & Jason Todd, Roy Harper & Jason Todd, Roy Harper & Koriand'r, Roy Harper & Koriand'r & Jason Todd
Comments: 1
Kudos: 30





	misunderstandings

**Author's Note:**

> Okay this is my very first fic, so pacing might be a little off. I also wrote this at 12 at night so! Hopefully it goes well! Please enjoy this mixing of continuities as I try to make them work!

_Tap tap tap._

_Tap tap tap._

_Tap tap-_

A hand reached out to stop his fingers. Roy looked up from the chipped paint of the table into swirling green eyes and a frowning face. “Roy, you must stop doing that. I know you’re impatient, but he’ll be here soon.”

“Kory, we were told he’d be back at 8:30. It's been over an hour and he hasn’t so much as texted, I’m worried not impatient,” Roy said, pulling his hand away from hers. “Besides, it’s not like there’s anything to do in this apartment. It was never the plan to stay.”

Kory said nothing, only nodding her head, curly bright red hair bobbing as she did. As they lapsed into silence, Roy took a moment to observe her. Her normally smiling face had a pinch in the brow, her lips downturned as she watched the clock. Her hair, usually left down, had managed to be braided as it cascaded over her shoulder as she nervously played with the tips every few seconds. Everything from her fire red hair to her galaxy-like green eyes seemed more pronounced. She had changed in the months she’d been gone, wearing armor that seemed to fit a much more Tamaranean style. It was heavier, and more regal than any armor she’d worn in the past. The more he stared, the more he could tell how she had changed. How far the two had come from their Teen Titan days. Gone was the youthful hope they’d once had, Kory having lost her planet and people more than once and Roy…

The sound of the apartment door slamming interrupted his thoughts. Tearing his eyes away from Kory and to where the sound had come from, he saw Jason marching into the apartment. Without words he could tell he was angry. Jason’s shoulders were tense, and his footfalls were heavy. As he ripped off his Red Hood helmet, Roy could see a slight acid green glow in his eyes. Though they weren’t as bright as Kory’s, they still shone unlike any human eye. As Jason sat down, he placed his helmet down heavily, giving pause to send an apologetic glance Kory’s way as she jerked back at the bang.

“I’m assuming this whole thing has to do with the reason you’re late?” Roy asked, raising an eyebrow unimpressed. While he could sympathize with Jason’s anger, even though he didn’t know exactly what made him angry, there was still that fact that Roy and Kory had waited over an hour to see or hear back from him. A bit of a hard time was due.

Jason took a few moments before answering, seemingly collecting his thoughts. “I don’t even know why I answer his calls anymore,” he burst out, hands clenching into fists on the table. Roy sent a questioning glance at Kory over who the ‘he’ was, and nodded when she mouthed ‘Bruce’. Batman being the cause of anger for his friend had never surprised him. Either the anger derived from sadness or longing for his father, or for the betrayal of feeling abandoned. “All he does is criticize me and micromanage everything! It’s not like the others are any better! The Drake kid is a damn know it all, he’s like a mini Bruce already! The little brat likes to get under my feet every fucking second, I’m pretty sure given the chance he’d stick me with one of his swords! Dick’s the worst too, always jumping to do what Bruce says! Bruce says jump, he says how high. Typical.”

At Dick’s name, both Kory and Roy had stiffened. When they had both joined the Outlaws with Jason, they had agreed to stay more or less neutral in any disagreement Jason had with Dick. There was too much shared history, too much trust gained and trust lost, too much pain and joy over the years in what they had both shared with Dick. Neither had been able to find it in themselves to speak ill of him, though they knew they had to show support for Jason. So neutrality was the best option. They would hear Jason out, he would talk to them about differences he and Dick had, and they would say nothing. Hearing him come up abruptly in conversation though, it sometimes reminded them of the things they had left behind, things they weren’t quite ready to let go of yet. Perhaps maybe never.

“At least I never have to see Batgirl,” Jason continued. “From what I’ve heard, she’s exactly like Bruce on his stances. Maybe even more firm. Not that I care, one less Bat I have to deal with. Just my luck, getting stuck with siblings I hate.”

Kory hummed sympathetically, patting one of his clenched hands. Of course she would more than understand how it is to have complicated and antagonistic relationships with siblings. Her issues with Blackfire still haunt her, something she’ll never truly forget. At least for Roy, he could say he still felt love for Connor and Mia, though now he wasn’t sure what their opinions of him were. They must know he’s part of the Outlaws now, but he hasn’t seen them for months now, since the funeral. He hasn’t been able to face them, not after what he said to Mia.

“What were you helping them with anyway?” Roy inquired.

“A drug ring,” Jason huffed. “They thought I might know some people, from the start of my Red Hood days. Thought it’d be a quick job, point out some places and people, get out of there. Then old man places me with _Nightwing_ , tells us to go watch the place. Big Blue decides that we should spend the time _talking_ , like he’s trying to get in with me again. Acting like we should be brothers, like that’s gonna happen.” There’s a bitter wistfulness in Jason’s voice, lost chances indeed. “Missions with him would be so much easier if he weren’t such a damn hypocrite all the time. Going on about how family’s important, how we should stick together. I can’t count the number of times he’s started a fight with me on both my hands! Hell, he preaches about family and he couldn’t even go to my fucking funeral!”

Roy hears a sharp inhalation from Kory, and one of her hands reaches out sharply to grab Jason’s shoulder. He freezes, anything else he was going to say cut off. Looking at Kory, he can see a fire in her green eyes and an intensity on her face he hasn’t seen in awhile. She’s angry, he can tell, but holding it back. Out of the two of them, she always has been the quickest to jump to Dick’s defense. The passion and care she once felt strongly still burns, something he often finds himself sympathizing with.

“Jason, I understand your anger, but there’s no need to throw things like that around,” Kory begins stiffly.

“Kory, I know he wasn’t there! This isn’t something I made up, he wasn’t there. There’s no records of him there, no photos of him in the paper. He didn’t care enough to go!” Jason interrupted.

At the interruption, Kory became more tense. “Space missions don’t make it easy to keep up with Earth news. Had he known, he would have been there,” her green eyes stared back at Jason’s own, one an intense fire and the other lost confusion. Roy could only watch in bemusement. This was a story he had never learnt about fully, a time of his life where he wasn’t as involved with the Titans. Kory continued. “The Teen Titans were off on a mission in space at the time of your death. We arrived back on Earth two months after. We had gotten nothing to signify anything was wrong here, so we continued how we would. Only when we returned was Dick informed of your death. While I care for you, and will not join in any arguments against either of you, I will not watch as rumors are a point of hatred for either of you. I watched him grieve for you, him and I visited your grave together. Argue about what you will, but do not argue on this.”

Only silence met Kory’s words. Roy watched as Jason battled with what he had just been told in his head, two different stories conflicting. As it became apparent nothing else was going to be said, Kory stood up and began walking to the door. “Whatever you came to tell us about Jason, it will wait until tomorrow. I’ve waited here long enough and have other things planned for tonight.”

Like that, Kory was gone. Not even 15 minutes had passed, and it felt like a bomb had been dropped in the room. Roy turned to check in on Jason, but when he opened his mouth he was cut off by a shake of Jason’s head. He clearly was lost in his own head. Roy stood, resting a hand on Jason’s shoulder.

“I’ll leave you be then. Call if you need help, but think about what she said. She knows a lot more than most people would think.” With those parting words, Roy turned to leave. As he closed the door, he looked one last time to see Jason with a thoughtful look on his face. At least he gets closure for this one thing.

**Author's Note:**

> Anyways so probably not exactly what you were expecting but I hope you didn't hate it! One of my biggest problems for RHATO was always that Kory and Roy's past relationships always get erased, so I wanted to try something where yes they still join the Outlaws, but in a way which would still carry their relationships. So Roy still gets the arrowfam and his siblings, while Kory ofc gets her strenuous relationship with Blackfire. And there's still their Titans history! 
> 
> It's also my very first time writing for any of these characters, so apologies if it's dry in any way or ooc! I'm currently working out how to best portray them, for later stories (those will be Titans stories mostly though so sorry not much Jason). 
> 
> Tell me what you think! Loved it, hated it, any feedback is good! I love getting criticism, it helps me improve, but please at least tell me what I could improve on if you critique. Anyways lol, thanks for reading!


End file.
